


Uncomfortable Silence

by jlblackstone



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-12
Updated: 2006-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-01 09:31:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/355010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jlblackstone/pseuds/jlblackstone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark visits Lex in Metropolis the summer after the tornado swept through Smallville.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Uncomfortable Silence

## Uncomfortable Silence

by J L Blackstone

<http://sweetconflict.popullus.net/>

* * *

The tall young man paced back and forth before the foreboding skyscraper, watching the well dressed men and women enter and exit through the glass doors. He knew he had already attracted the attention of one security guard. A lone man standing outside with no cigarette or cell phone for twenty minutes; he might as well have been carrying a machine gun. 

It didn't help that he was dressed casually in blue shirt and jeans, good jeans that his mom had spent the morning ironing for him, but jeans nevertheless. He refused to even think about his boots. 

Yeah, you could say he stuck out from the corporate crowd. 

Clark firmed up his shoulders, turned and strode through the sliding glass door, absently smiling at the security guard as he pulled out his wallet, before walking through the metal detector. He looked around the lobby, after picking up his wallet from the tray and headed over to the information desk. 

"May I help you," the woman asked in an impatient tone. 

He couldn't help it, he smiled before ducking his head shyly, unable to keep from blushing under the attractive woman's stare. "Lex...um Alexander Luthor." 

Clark could feel himself blushing even more at his slip-up. Strange but he never thought of his best friend by that name. Yeah, he knew that was Lex's name. In fact, he'd known that name as long as he could remember, as did the whole town. Especially after the mammoth stone blocks were being transported through Main Street day after day on their way to the castle's construction site. 

Since his arrival in Smallville, Alexander Joseph Luthor had been the topic of conversation more often than not.But after the accident on the bridge, it was just Lex. Just Lex. Someone he found himself wanting to hang around more and more. 

The smile on the woman's face was anything but friendly. "Do you have an appointment?" The disdain in her voice made him shuffle nervously. He cursed his tendency to blush as the woman's condescension became even more evident with each passing second. 

Maybe just showing up here was a bad idea? Lex was probably busy. He was still here working as...Lex had told him the title. Something Latin-ish. Special advisor to the chairman emeritus, yeah that was it. Lex was still in Metropolis while his father recovered from his injuries. He was about to turn to leave when the woman said something. 

"Your name?" 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Clark Kent." 

The woman superficially glanced down at the piece of paper on her desk before almost instantly looking up. "As you don't have an appointment," she began, "I'm afraid that it will be impossible..." 

Clark nodded, quickly interrupting her little spiel, "Sure, I understand. Thank you." The politeness was ingrained. He didn't think he could stop even if he wanted to, which right now he certainly felt like doing as the woman gave him a clear look of dismissal, as if he was a bug that was annoying her. 

He shuffled off, wondering how long he should wait before returning home. He didn't want to arrive back at the farm before dad that would let everyone know that there was something wrong. 

Dismissing the man, boy really from her mind, the woman's eyes unintentionally fell on the list of names of people who were to be granted admittance to Mister Alexander Luthor at all times. "Mister Kent!" she called, looking up in time to see the tall broad figure walk through the exit. 

Clark looked up at the clear blue sky. Well at least he wouldn't have to worry about the weather. He turned at the sound of a disturbance behind him. 

"Mister Kent!" 

He'd already taken three steps away when he realized that they were calling him. He turned around just in time to prevent the woman from the information desk from running into him. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at her with a confused expression. The woman looked frantic. 

"I'm so sorry, Mister Kent. I didn't look, I just didn't think--please forgive me, sir." 

He frowned, not understanding. 

"If you'll follow me, sir. I'll escort you to Mister Luthor." 

Aaah, so that was it. He nodded and followed her, amazed at the woman's transformation. Gone was the condescending sophisticate that had greeted him, replaced by this creature who continued to profusely apologize for not showing him in immediately, while throwing fearful looks over her shoulder as they made their way to the elevator. 

How did Lex live with this? It would drive him insane. The thought of his friend however, brought him to an even more unsettling one. Why was the woman so afraid? Would Lex really fire her for failing to show him in...His thought was disrupted by the elevator door opening outside what he presumed was Lex's office. 

"Thank you," he bade the woman with a reassuring smile before walking out of the elevator, not at all surprised to be faced with another woman. 

"May I help you?" A pretty blonde asked. 

He smiled. "My name's Clark Kent," he began. 

The woman smiled and stood. "Of course, Mister Kent. Go right in." 

Clark smiled somewhat bemused, and reached for the door, hearing over his shoulder the buzz of an intercom, quickly followed by "Mister Luthor, Mister Clark Kent to see you, sir." 

All his anxiety fled at the sight of the familiar half grin on Lex's face as he walked in, his gaze immediately caught by the blue eyes. "Lex." 

"Clark! What are you doing in Metropolis? Is everything alright?" 

The blue eyes suddenly darkened with seriousness, making him immediately stammer out, "No, no everything's fine. It was a last minute trip..." He stopped suddenly realizing that they weren't alone in the office. A dark blond man in a suit was sitting in a chair off to the left. 

"Dominic, that's all for now. I'll get back to you on the Gotham plant," he said, drawing Clark to the sitting area on the right. Neither of them watched the man walk out although both waited until the soft closing of the door before speaking. 

"So, Clark, what brings you to this den of iniquity?" Lex drawled as he leaned casually against the bar, facing Clark. 

Clark shifted in the chair, glancing around the office before looking back at Lex. The open teasing expression on his friends' face doing much to dispel the gloom that had driven him here in the first place. "Dad needed a part for the tractor..." he immediately bit his lip as a dark shadow fell across Lex's face at the mention of Jonathan Kent. The same shadow that fell across his father's whenever Lex's name came up. He sighed mentally. "I thought I'd spend the weekend with Chloe..." 

Lex's eyebrows arched. 

"I'd sleep on the couch, of course," Clark hurriedly added, knowing once again that he was blushing. 

Lex laughed, "I'm sorry, Clark. It's just so easy to tease." 

Clark nodded, didn't he know it? He sighed. "Anyway, I'd planned on going back on the bus tomorrow, but now..." 

Lex frowned. "What happened? Is Chloe busy at the Planet?" 

"Something like that," Clark responded dryly, looking down at the floor. 

"Want something to drink?" Lex asked turning around and opening the bar, not wanting Clark to see his pleased expression. He'd wondered how long it would take Clark to figure out about little Ms. Sullivan and Jimmy Olsen. Not that he was keeping track of the young girl... 

"Water would be good." 

He started, quickly remembering that he'd asked Clark if he wanted some refreshment. He picked up a bottle of Ty Nant. 

Clark stared at Lex's back, noticing for the first time that he was clothed in almost the identical color of shirt he was wearing. 

"Clark?" Lex asked, disrupting his little reverie. He held out the blue bottle, patiently waiting for the beautiful eyes to focus on him. 

Clark's eyes blinked. "You're wearing blue," he blurted out while he reached out for the bottle, his fingers brushing for a second against Lex's. 

"I do occasionally wear something besides purple." Lex smiled as he spoke. He really didn't mind the observation, not from Clark anyway. 

"Or black," Clark teased picking up Lex's mood. 

"Purple was my mother's favorite color." 

Clark smiled up at his friend, no longer surprised when Lex would drop these little tidbits about himself. Each time he learned something knew about Lex, he always wondered if he was the only one that Lex ever talked to about his mother--Julian. That was the impression he always got, surprised at how thrilled the idea made him feel. "It looks good." 

Lex smiled slyly. "The purple or the blue?" 

"Both," Clark quickly replied, looking away towards the floor to ceiling window. He didn't want to face the knowing grin. He stood and walked over to look out at Metropolis. 

"Come on, Clark. Spill." 

"What?" Clark glanced over at Lex who'd joined him without him noticing. "Oh, its nothing." 

"Its something if it brought you to a fertilizer company...," Lex checked his watch, "at 11:45, on a beautiful Saturday morning in a city filled with exciting and much more fun things to do. If you want a list, I can make one up." 

"What are you? A tour guide for Metropolis Tours, now?" Clark looked back out the window, unwilling to admit even to himself that he was having fun, enjoying his time here with Lex. He'd missed him. It had only been seven weeks since the tornado had torn through Smallville. The storm and its aftermath had disrupted everyone's lives, including forcing Lex to Metropolis. 

Chloe was here too. She was working at the Daily Planet and having the time of her life. Clark smiled as he remembered how happy Chloe had looked that first time he'd visited her. She was really in her element. Pete was away visiting relatives for the summer. Once again, he and Lana were left in Smallville. Not that Lana was much company, being so caught up in working at the Talon and helping out with the restoration effort. Several barns and homes were damaged in the storm, but people came together like they always did, to help when the insurance money ran out. 

"Clark?" 

"Hmm?" Clark glanced at Lex's face, blushing at the indulgent expression. "Oh, sorry. You're probably busy, I'll just go." He turned to leave, stopping at the light yet firm touch on his arm. 

"Clark, I always have time for a friend." Lex led him back to the sitting area. "So, why aren't you at Chloe's?" 

Clark plopped himself down on the couch, unable to keep from sighing. He looked up at Lex, noting his friend's familiar stance, hands casually stuck inside the dark grey slacks, giving off his usual sense of grace even though he was still. 

Lex looked like he always did, elegant and self-assured like nothing ever bothered him. Oh he knew it wasn't true. Things did bother Lex, he of all people was one of the few to fully realize that Lex was all too human considering the hurt Lex revealed under the influence of Bob Rickman's touch. People's opinion of him did matter to Lex. 

It was just that his friend epitomized, at least on the surface, what he wanted to be, confident and well--cool. He was tired of playing the fool, with Lana or with Chloe. "She's not there." He reached out and started fiddling with the magazines that were laying on the cocktail table. "Her roommate said she was out with some friends." 

"That doesn't sound too bad, why didn't you stay and wait for her?" Lex walked over to his desk. 

Clark stood up and followed. "Denise told me that they were probably out at a diner close by eating so I went and..." 

Lex looked up from the papers he was glancing at on his deck when Clark fell silent. "And?" 

"It was just one friend. A guy. They looked like they we're having fun." Much more fun than he'd ever felt like they had when they were out together. Sure they'd only managed a handle of dates before Chloe'd left for Metropolis, but the easy banter that had marked their friendship had been lost, replaced with awkwardness. The kisses they shared pleasant but not something he gloried in or craved. Not like... 

He glanced at Lex from beneath his lashes, his eyes tracing a path over the smooth bald scalp, remembering the silky feel of the pale skin under his hands as he performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him by the bridge. He'd only touched Lex a few seconds, a minute at most, but it was a memory that had frequently visited him in dreams, along with...other images. 

"I see. So you didn't join them." 

"I couldn't." 

"Clark, things aren't always what they appear. I'm sure that if you talk to Chloe..." 

"What? That she'll tell me it wasn't a date. I'm not stupid, Lex." 

"I know that, Clark." 

"I shouldn't be angry. We never agreed we couldn't date other people." But he was angry. He'd been trying so hard to make it work and now this. 

"It's perfectly normal..." Lex began in a silky tone. 

"The funny thing is, is that I'm not hurt. I'm more annoyed. It wasn't working. We both knew it. When we kissed..." Clark stopped, suddenly realizing what he was saying and to whom. Especially with what he'd earlier been thinking about. "I guess I'm angry at the wasted time," Clark finished lamely, looking down and picking up the sword paperweight on the desk, not wanting to see Lex's expression. 

"Some people make better friends than lovers." 

Clark nodded. That was definitely true for him and Chloe. 

"Good luck with Lana." Lex was careful to keep his expression neutral as the words left his mouth. Personally he liked Chloe better than Lana. At least the blonde could hold a decent conversation, while Lana was like most of the women he'd encountered in his life, pretty to look at, but little more. That's why it lasted so long with Victoria. She had at least been somewhat entertaining. He gazed at the good looking face, wondering at the confused expression that had appeared at his words. "Wasting time? When you could have been spending the summer dating Lana." 

Clark shook his head. "I wasn't talking about Lana." 

"You didn't mention there was another girl in your sights," drawled Lex as he sat down behind his desk, templing his fingers together as he looked up at Clark. 

Clark swallowed. Maybe this wasn't the time to do this. "It isn't a girl." 

Lex blinked. For a second he'd thought, but no. "I'm sure your father understands..." 

"I'm not talking about the farm either," Clark cut him off in a frustrated tone. Who knew that this was so hard? Lex knew. He'd told him that, `The hardest thing to do is to tell the girl that you love that you like her.' It seemed so long ago since he felt that way about Lana. "I was referring to you...and me." There he'd said it. 

"Clark, I'm not sure I understand." And for once it was completely true. Clark couldn't mean what he thought. 

"Oh." Clark looked down, defeated. So Lex didn't feel that way about him. He guessed he'd been wrong about the looks Lex would sometime give him or about the times he genuinely seemed happy to see him when he'd dropped by the castle just to hang out. "I'll just go then." 

"Wait, Clark." Lex stood and walked around the desk, his hand reaching out to rest on the muscled forearm. "What are you saying?" 

Clark met the blue eyes steadily, searching for some hint, but Lex had his walls up, revealing nothing. 

"You know Clark that you have an open invita...." A pair of soft lips suddenly pressed against his interrupted Lex. 

Clark slowly pulled back after a few seconds, not even attempting to fight the blush he could feel warming his face. 

Lex opened his eyes, surprised that he didn't even remember closing them at the feel of the soft mouth. "I see." He turned away and looked out the window unseeingly. 

"Lex?" Clark shuffled awkwardly. He frowned. Of all the reactions he'd thought Lex might have he'd never considered this one. This cold distance, yeah he'd seen Lex freeze out other people but not him. He could have sworn that he felt Lex's lips respond to him. "Hey, Lex. It's okay. It was just an idea. Its cool if you don't feel the same way. I'll see you later," he casually rattled off in a bright tone as he began edging backward towards the door. 

"Clark." 

Clark froze at his name so softly spoken, staring wide-eyed at the back of the bald head. The stiff set of the lean body making him even more apprehensive. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Sure that I like you? Yes, I've been sure about that for a long time." His forehead wrinkled as he wondered what Lex was getting at. 

Lex nodded and turned to face Clark. 

Clark exhaled at the wry half grin on Lex's face. 

"You caught me off-guard, Clark. Its not something that many people have been able to do," he remarked in dry tone. "And not in a very long time." 

"Lex?" Clark looked down at the floor before raising his eyes to meet his friend's. "So, um do you feel the same way about me?" 

Lex closed his eyes for a second before opening them to confront the hopeful expression on the teenager's face. "Yes." 

"That's great," Clark enthused, stepping forward towards him but freezing when Lex arched his eyebrows. "Lex? What's wrong?" 

Lex chuckled and shook his head. "So, what now Clark? We kiss and walk off into the sunset?" 

Clark flushed at the sneering tone. "Of course not, don't be ridiculous..." 

"Well then, what? You tell me, Clark, what comes after this little mutual declaration?" 

"Lex, I already told you. I want to, " Clark frowned, he'd never actually thought this far. He'd been agonizing over telling Lex for so long that he'd never thought beyond it. He couldn't actually picture going out on a date with Lex, not like Lana. Oh, he'd been out with Lex before. Done date-like things, dinner, the exhibition at the Metropolis Museum--but it had never felt awkward or forced. Not like the not date-date with Lana or the dates with Chloe. His times with Lex had always been enjoyable, from beginning to end, with a underlying excitement that went unmatched. "If this is about Chloe, I'll talk to her today..." 

"This isn't about Chloe. It's about us. Has it slipped your mind that your father hates me?" 

"He doesn't hate you, Lex," Clark assured him automatically. 

"Well he certainly doesn't like me. And I can guarantee that he'll be none too pleased to find out that your fucking Lionel Luthor's son." 

Clark flushed at the vulgarity coming from the erudite mouth. He knew what Lex was trying to do. "Stop it, Lex. It's not going to work." He walked up to Lex carefully. "Dad knows that we're friends. He's used to me being over at your place, our hanging out together. It's not like anything would really have to change that much." He flushed and stared at his boots. "As for the rest," Clark looked up and met the blue eyes. "Well, we'll deal with that when we get around to it." 

Lex's eyes narrowed at the smooth words delivered in a perfect soothing tone but he nodded anyway. "We'll have to be careful, Clark. My father already knows that I care about you and your family. He'll do anything to get his way. Anything, Clark. He doesn't want me returning to Smallville. He re-opened the plant only because I agreed to stay in Metropolis for the summer." 

"What?" Lex hadn't told him that before, he reached out to touch Lex but hesitated. 

Lex closed the distance between them, welcoming the feel of the strong hands on his shoulders. "My father is very dangerous, Clark. He doesn't want me to have anyone but him to depend on." Images of his father and Victoria having sex flashed through his mind. The actual gender of one's partner, however, mattered little to his father and if he ever found out about Clark. 

He stared up at the extraordinarily good-looking face and shook his head. "No, Clark. Forget what I said. I'll call for a car to drive you home." 

Clark stood, stunned, not fully comprehending what he'd just heard. He numbly watched as Lex dispassionately picked up the phone and ordered a car around to drive him back to Smallville. "Lex, please don't do this." 

Pain shot through him at the reserved coldness in the blue eyes that finally met his after the call ended. "Say hello to your parents for me, Clark." A polite smile accompanied the words before Lex looked down and began fixedly reading the paper on his desk. 

"Lex?!" 

The sound of the door opening behind him answered him. "Mister Kent, your car is waiting downstairs for you, sir." 

Clark glanced over his shoulder at Lex's secretary, before returning his attention to the man studiously avoiding acknowledging his presence. "I'm not going to forget about it, Lex. Not any of it. You're not the only one who likes challenges." 

Clark turned and strode out without looking back. 


End file.
